Why Chicken Sandwich? Because this blog is almost as good as biting into one. My blog reveals my continuously evolving understanding of education in the inner city in real time as I proceed through a graduate course at Montclair State University that focuses on urban education.

Friday, June 13, 2008

My Close Family Friend

I have a family friend that is for all intensive purposes, a member of the family. Hes a very smart person, as he attended Cornell and just graduated from Harvard Law school last week. He's extremely humble, very easy to talk to, and just an overall great guy. He grew up Queens, and attended a very "rough" public high school in NYC. He told me that students had to worry about looking at other students the wrong way, literally. I talked to him yesterday to see what what he thought about his education. He was in all the best courses that his school had to offer, and excelled as a student. He never got involved in all the negative influences around him, and avoided getting into any trouble. I asked him what it was that made him so successful in a school where many students were not. He told me that he always had a drive to do well, and better himself. He understand that education was the vehicle by which he could achieve great things, and he certainly has, and will. He also mentioned his mother, who supported him along the way. He said that she has helped me see how important education is, especially in an urban area, when the students may not have as many other opportunities to fall back on. He shows me that, with the right mindset, and ambition, one can dictate their own level of success, even in urban areas. It takes commitment to the idea that, against all odds (in some cases), education is the key to accessing greater opportunities in life. And sure, there are people like Bill Gates, Kobe Bryan, Kanye West, Johnny Depp, and many other who have achieved great things without a complete education, but they are exceptions, as most of us will see muh more success with an education.

1 comment:

It is great that your friend succeeded and interesting to note that his comment on how come he succeeded was because of his education and his parents. I think that in most of the schools we visited, the educators stressed the importance of parental involvement in the success of the students and this seems the case here as well, to a certain degree.It is also hopeful to read that students are aware that education can take them places, that it can help them get on their way, provide them with a safe, friendly and inspiring place to be.